


Way back home

by chanmosphere



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Demon Baekhyun, Fluff, Half Demon/Half Human Chanyeol, Happy Ending, Lucifer Morningstar Makes An Appearance, M/M, Made Up Facts About Angels & Demons, Possible Mention of Religious Topics, Romantic Comedy, Royalty (kind of), Sexual Content, soulmates?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27905956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chanmosphere/pseuds/chanmosphere
Summary: Baekhyun is assigned to a mission on Earth, the results are definitely not what he was expecting.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with a new chaptered fic which I this time, I will finish, I swear.
> 
> A heads up, most of the names and facts about demons here are made up by me.

Why him? Why on the Seven Hells,  _ him?  _ It's what Baekhyun has been asking himself since Suho broke the news at him about his new  _ adventure _ . The King of Shadows is dying and Hell needs a new ruler. 

"Why can't we just… be independent? I mean, democracy is a thing now, right? Let's be democratic!" Baekhyun exclaims. He's walking behind Suho all across the Torment Room, trying to save himself from  _ Earth. _

"There  _ always _ has to be a Morningstar in Hell." It's Suho's answer. He's made his mind and nothing anyone can say, will change it; not even his  _ Favorite _ .

"But a human? How have we come to this? Being ruled by a human?" Baekhyun spits out with disgust.

" _ Half _ human." Suho reminds him, lifting a finger in front of his face on a futile attempt to stop him from complaining.

"Still. He doesn't even know he has Dark Blood running through his veins. If our Lord didn't recognize him from the beginning why do we have to do it now?" Baekhyun crosses his arms against his chest, refusing to everything that Suho might say.

"Becauseㅡ!" Suho turns around abruptly, startling Baekhyun. He stops himself from exploding and closes his eyes, counts to five and opens them again. "Because it is written that at the age of 25 the Prince of Flames must take his place as the rightful ruler of Hell. Noctifer Morningstar shall return home."

Something inside Baekhyun's stomach churns and he swallows.  _ That _ name. He grew up hearing stories about Noctifer Morningstar, The Great. The Changer. The one that would bring the Seven Hells and all Demons to their maximum glory. The one that will change the course of Everything Damned. The Prince of Flames, future King of Shadows: The Son of Lucifer Morningstar. And now, it has to be him the one to bring him back home from that dumpster they call Earth. It terrifies him, not even knowing how their prince look and now, having to convince himㅡ  _ HIM _ , who has been raised as a normal human being his entire life.

"I hope you understand the importance of the task I'm assigning you." Suho frowns, giving Baekhyun a stern look.

Baekhyun sighs. He's right. If he manages to complete this task successfully, he's gonna be seen as Hell's savior. Maybe be rewarded by their future King.

"Alright." He nods.

"Good. Kai will take you to Earth tomorrow morning. Everything is ready for you: you will be neighboring with our prince. Money and all commodities are available as well..." Suho's voice trails off and then, he gives him a worried look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow. "Don't you think I can do it?" 

"Of course I think you can do it.  _ I know it _ . But…"

"But what?"

"Earth is dangerous." Suho narrows his eyes. "Full of temptations."

Baekhyun scoffs. "We're demons. We feed on temptations."

It takes Suho a moment to respond. He licks his lips and discreetly clears his throat. "Just be careful out there, okay? Do what you have to do and come back as soon as possible." He looks worried still, but Baekhyun only nods and smiles a tiny smile.

"Don't worry too much. I'll be okay and sooner than you think, our prince will be home." A small reverence of his head signs his goodbye.

Suho watches him walk away. Baekhyun has always been a confident demon. He knows what he wants and he's not afraid to speak his mind. Maybe he should have told him the truth before sending him to the surface. Or maybe, omitting the tiny detail that  _ he  _ will be the one ruling by Noctifer's side in a not so far away future, was the best thing he could do. For Baekhyun's peace of mind and the sake of his mission.

**

_ "Butㅡ but My Lord! There must be plenty of demons out there who would like to battle for the spot." Suho is starting to sound desperate. He cannot be afraid, not in front of their King. _

_ "I'm sure there are. But I want him." Lucifer on the other hand, is calm, long and pointy fingernails tapping over the iron armrest of his throne. _

_ "Baekhyun is… complicated, My Lord. He's a free being, forcing himㅡ" _

_ "It has to be him!" Lucifer exclaims, starting to raise his voice. "It has to be him." He repeats, slower. The depthness of his voice sends chills all down Suho's spine. _

_ "May I know… why?" Suho tries, taking a step closer.  _

_ Lucifer turns his head at him. Scarlett eyes locking with his. A somber smile crosses his face and it forces Suho to step back. He shouldn't be questioning His King. He should just shut up now and do what he's told; but Baekhyun is like his son, he raised him and taught him everything he knows. Being chosen to rule alongside an heir should be a great honor, but why doesn't it feel like that? Why does it feel like this could be Baekhyun's downfall, from the moment he leaves Hell?  _

_ "Leave now." Lucifer dismisses him with a sharp movement of his hand. _

_ Suho makes a reverence and before he could say something he knows he'll regret, turns around and walks away. _

**

"Here? Are you sure?" Baekhyun asks, head tilted back as he takes in the apartment complex where he'll be living for the time being.

Kai hums. "Everything you need is in there. Apartment 666." 

"Hilarious." Baekhyun rolls his eyes.

"The code for the door isㅡ"

"666ㅡ"

"13."

"Clever. Are you really sure it's here? I mean, it looks… charming." Baekhyun speaks through his teeth, looking around. The neighborhood is quiet, not many people walking by; there's a flower shop across the street and next to it, a bakery. The smell of coffee and freshly baked goods wafts through the air and right into Baekhyun's nostrils; he's never smelled anything so disgustingly delicious before, but of course, everything would be compared to Hell's constant smell of sulfur and rot. He has to admit it's a nice change.

"You'll get used to it." Kai shrugs. He's never been someone of many words. "The sooner you finish the task, the sooner you'll be back home."

Baekhyun purses his lips, he wouldn't exactly call Hell  _ home _ , but close enough, it gives him a roof over his head.

"How many times have you come here?" Baekhyun asks. Kai tends to come and go for mere pleasure. Strange, but no one really dares to question a Wrath Demon about his constant disappearings. Whatever it might be, must be important.

"Enough. I have to go now."

"Wait. Where do I find him?" Baekhyun frowns. Kai sighs and his head slowly moves to the side. Baekhyun follows the direction of his eyes. "The bakery?" He quirks an eyebrow. "Well, okay. How do we do this…" Baekhyun turns to look at Kai, his voice fading upon realizing he's no longer there. "Asshole." He mutters and frowns.

Baekhyun remains standing there for a moment, chewing on his lower lip and thinking what the best way to approach his future King would be, because… a bakery? Really? What is the Prince of Darkness doing in a bakery? Shouldn't he be wrecking chaos among the human race? 

"But he doesn't  _ know _ he's the Prince of Hell." Baekhyun says to himself, slender finger tapping against his chin. Maybe… he lives his life as just another human. Should be easy to approach, humans are easy and Baekhyun is a Deceiving Demon. Using his powers is not an option though, Suho's orders, so he'll have to figure it out the old way. Baekhyun looks in the bakery's direction again and sighs. "I suppose coffee has never hurt anyone." He shrugs. "Maybe a scone too."

Baekhyun makes his way to the bakery with confidence, every word he has planned to say to the prince ready on his tongue. His persuasion game is strong… or so he thought. He comes to a stop by the large window, the bakery looks lovely on the inside, cozy and homey with rustic touches and a countryside undertone; the scent of coffee is stronger now and it smells like strawberries and cream. The demon's mouth waters, when did he start to feel hungry? Baekhyun asks himself, looking down at his noisy stomach. The distraction is interrupted by the doorbell of the shop ringing the moment the door opens and two girls come out; they stare, Baekhyun notices, if only for a moment, but it's evident and he knows it's his power acting up. He should have asked Suho how to  _ turn it off _ on Earth, because even when he likes the attention, there are more important matters to attend to. 

Soon, the girls walk away, giggling among themselves, whispering things like  _ handsome  _ and  _ hot _ and  _ cute  _ (eww) to each other. Baekhyun shakes his head as a smirk curls up on his lips and then focuses back on the bakery. All the tables are occupied, but it's not too busy; people on their computers typing away or quietly chatting with the person next to them. Behind the counter, smiling and chatting lively with a buying customer, it's this short guy he  _ swears  _ he has seen before. Almost his same height, black hair and big, round eyes. His smile is a little weird, kind of crooked; his full lips stretch to keep on smiling and speaking, seems nice. Could it be him? Baekhyun narrows his eyes. Nah, stories say the Prince of Flames is tall; almost six feet tall, strong features and even stronger personality, that boy right there looks… soft. It  _ can't  _ be him.

Baekhyun enters the bakery and slowly approaches the counter. The previous customer is now gone and the boy has now passed to keep on whipping cups.

"Excuse me. Hi." Baekhyun puts on his best smile.

"Hi!" The guy chirps. "What can I get you?"

"Oh, I'm actually new in the neighborhood. Just moved in the building across the street." Baekhyun lets out a casual scoff, pointing behind him. "I was hoping you could recommend something."

"Sure! Imma give you something extra special, not in the menu actually."

"No, no. You don't have toㅡ"

"Consider it a welcome treat… Baekhyun." The guy winks at him.

"Whatㅡ"

"I knew you were coming. Kai informed me earlier."

"Howㅡ"

"Soo!" 

From the back door, a tall man comes out, a little hunched and with his eyes focused on a small notebook. His fiery red hair immediately catches Baekhyun's attention. Could it be…?

"Remember on which notebook I wrote the recipe for theㅡ oh. Hello." The man smiles. "Welcome. Did Kyungsoo here already take your order?"

"Yes, thank you." Baekhyun mumbles, mesmerized by the man. He is indeed  _ tall, _ large almond shaped eyes.  _ Gorgeous.  _

"Actually, Yeol. He just moved into your building."  _ Kyungsoo  _ informs him. 

"Really?"  _ Yeol _ quirks an eyebrow. "I didn't see anyone moving in recently."

"I moved into one of the furnished apartments, brought just a few bags." Baekhyun waves a hand dismissively.

"To the sixth floor?" Yeol whistles, impressed. "Those are the biggest and most expensive ones. Nice." He nods. "Anyway, welcome. Kyungsoo will be attending you." Yeol gives him a bright smile before going back the same way he came.

"Is that…"

"Yup." Kyungsoo gets to preparing his order. "He goes by the name Park Chanyeol."

Baekhyun twists his lips, not feeling yet convinced. "He doesn't look anything like the Prince of Flames." He scoffs mockingly. "He's too… plain. Handsome. But plain."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at his words, placing the steaming disposable cup in front of him. "He has a strong personality."

"A strong personalityㅡ" Baekhyun cuts himself off upon realizing that there's still people around them and that he's speaking too loud. He steps closer to the counter and leans over it. "A strong personality won't make him the King of Hell. He needs to be something…  _ more. _ "

Kyungsoo shrugs, completely disregarding his concerns. "That must be the reason why you're here. Deceiving Demon, huh?"

Baekhyun opens his mouth, then closes it again, narrowing his eyes. "How do you know what I am?  _ Who  _ are you?" 

"I am just an innocent barista who happens to know just a little bit more." Kyungsoo says in an innocent tone that Baekhyun doesn't believe in the slightest. He keeps his eyes narrowed, retrieving and grabbing his cup of coffee. He then pulls a few bills from his pocket. Kyungsoo shakes his head. "On the house." He chirps, too cheerful for Baekhyun's liking.

"Thanks." He grumbles.

"I'll be seeing you around, Baekhyun." Kyungsoo smirks and it's the creepiest, darkest smirk the demon has seen on a human being, it makes him shiver, which in retrospective, shouldn't have happened. He is a demon, demons don't just  _ shiver _ because of a mere  _ mortal.  _

The apartment is quite nice. Very nice, actually, with a minimalistic design in shades of red, black and gray. The huge windows from floor to ceiling, giving him a full view of the city below him. It would be magnificent, if Baekhyun wasn't a 10,234 years old demon who had lived through the ages and having seen it all, he finds it excruciatingly boring. What is he supposed to do in his free time? What does a demon do when he's not allowed to terrify humans and bring evil upon them? Well, at least Suho had the decency of stocking the fridge and pantry. The walk-in closet in his bedroom is full of fine clothes and shoes, just his style. He checks the bank account under his name on the phone Suho gave him and there's enough money for him to live comfortably for a decade without having to do that horrible thing humans call  _ work. _

Baekhyun slumps down on the couch and sighs. He needs to start thinking on how he's gonna approach the princeㅡ Chanyeol? Pfft… it's a pretty name, but not worthy of  _ The  _ Prince. If demons back in Hell knew what Noctifer Morningstar actually looked like, they would laugh and mock. All of the stories and legends they were told make no sense at all. And okay, Baekhyun is aware that is not the prince's fault that his father got involved with a human and that he was born and raise as a human in the human realm. He's pretty sure that the prince has no idea of the magnitude of his powers or his real identity and Baekhyun supposes that that is why he's here, like Kyungsoo had said: to teach him and guide him. But how does he approaches a human slash demon slash Prince of Hell slash bakery owner without scaring the shit out of him? He can't just show up at his door and be like  _ Hey, my name is Baekhyun, I'm a demon and you're the next king of Hell,  _ can he?

Baekhyun puffs his cheeks. This is going to be harder than he thought.

×××

When the sun rises again the next morning, Baekhyun is still sitting on that couch, brain working at a thousand miles per hour on the  _ How To Approach The Prince Of Darkness Without Making Myself Look Like A Crazy Bastard And Probably End Up Locked In A Mental Hospital  _ mission, but nothing useful has come to him. What does humans do when they need to clear their minds? Take walks? Right, he should probably go out and clear his mind, even though is about 7 in the morning, puts on some track pants, sneakers and goes out to look for a park where he can jog his ideas out. Conveniently for him, there is a park three blocks down from his apartment complex and it's pretty much empty.

The morning breeze is chilly, but Baekhyun enjoys the temperature changes, the feeling welcomed by his perpetually warm skin. He closes his eyes, letting his other senses guide his way and it's good for about ten minutes, no interruptions or mishaps; that, until his body collapses against something  _ hard.  _ Baekhyun stumbles back and his eyes snap open in shock because  _ how _ . 

"I'm so sorry!" A voice exclaims, full of concern. Confused, Baekhyun looks up at the source and his eyes widen impossibly wider. "I didn't see you coming!" 

Baekhyun can't speak, his lips pressed into a tight thin line; he blinks at the awkward man standing in front of him and then frowns. He's sure a series of different expressions form and disappear on his face, but his brain is currently experiencing technical issues which really, shouldn't be happening. He  _ shouldn't _ have ran into anyone, his senses are ten times sharper than a normal human's, Baekhyun should have heard  _ him  _ coming, should have smelled him, should have sensed him and yet, he simply didn't. It really shouldn't be so surprising either, since the man with the awkward grin standing in front of him is none other than Park Chanyeol, the Prince of Darkness. 

"Uh…" Comes the involuntary sound out of Baekhyun's mouth.

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol repeats. "I didn't see you on the turn."

"I didn't hear you coming." Baekhyun mumbles, because he's still trying to find an explanation to his failed senses when it is right there. Park Chanyeol himself is the explanation: the prince's skills should, in theory, be above every demon's level; but then again, Chanyeol doesn't know who he is, does he? There's no way he had developed those heightened senses without proper guidance.

Every demon is born with those skills and abilities, but all of them need the proper help and instruction to be able to fully develop them, even the Prince of Flames.

"Ah." Chanyeol lets out a little laugh. "Yeah, people tell me that all the time. They say I'm very… stealthy."

"No shit." Baekhyun grumbles, looking away and scowling.

"Sorry?" Chanyeol frowns, but the smile doesn't disappear.

"Nothing, Iㅡ"

"Wait, I know you." Chanyeol points at him. He waits for the other to finish organizing his thoughts. "The bakery, yesterday. Right?"

"Yeah. Iㅡ new neighbour, I guess." Baekhyun shrugs, then the frown returns when he realizes he's been stuttering. Since when he, Baekhyun, Deceiving Demon  _ stutters _ ? 

"Not even close." Chanyeol says as he shakes his head. "In no way I could afford an apartment from the sixth floor." He scoffs.  _ Oh, if you only knew.  _ "But I didn't catch your name, yesterday."

"Baekhyun." He immediately replies, reprimanding himself for the uncharacteristic responses that are so  _ not  _ him.

"Well, Baekhyun. I'm Chanyeol." Chanyeol officially introduces himself, offering a hand. Same hand Baekhyun spends several seconds staring at, dumbfounded until he realizes he should act like a normal human being and shake it. Chanyeol lets out a sigh of relief once he does. "You know, there's a small cafe at the other side of the park that has mean pancakes, would you like to… come?"

"Yes." The word tumbles out of Baekhyun's mouth before he can even think about what he's saying. Baekhyun wants to facepalm himself, what the hell is he doing? What has  _ Chanyeol _ done to him?

"Great!" Chanyeol chirps and then resumes his way on the opposite direction. Baekhyun startles, his whole body shivering at the subtle smile on Chanyeol's lips. He feels so out of himself that it takes him a moment to comprehend that he is expected to follow. So he does, not exactly because he wants to, but because his feet are moving on their own and something inside him pushes him to do exactly what Chanyeol says. Ah, he might have a bigger problem than he initially thought.

They sit at a table near the huge window and when Chanyeol asks what he would like to order, Baekhyun stupidly says  _ why don't you surprise me _ and oh, he shouldn't have, because he doesn't have a sweet enough tooth to handle what is in front of him right now. He looks with terror at the literal mountain of pancakes, topped with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with strawberry compote and sprinkled with chocolate chips. Next to the plate is a large chocolate milkshake. Chanyeol has the exact same thing and he's already digging in.

"This is so good." Chanyeol speaks with his mouth half full. Baekhyun grimaces, closing his eyes to subtly calm his nerves.  _ You're the Prince of Everything Damned, future Ruler of Hell, King of Catasthrophy, please don't do that,  _ he wants to beg. Instead, his whole face just grimaces in mild disgust. This would be so much easier if he was part of the Seven Deadly Sins squad, but he's just a regular Deceiving Demon. Gluttony and Greed would definitely enjoy this. "You do not like it?" Chanyeol asks all of a sudden. Baekhyun has been staring at his food for too long, the ice cream has started to melt.

"No, it's just… too much for me." Baekhyun shakes his head. Chanyeol is almost done with his share, he doesn't know what to do with that information.

"Ah, it looks like too much, but it really isn't, if you remove the ice cream." Chanyeol advices and only because Baekhyun is starting to get actually hungry, he scoops the ice cream to one side of the plate, leaving a more normal looking dish. "Are you going to eat that?" Chanyeol points at the ice cream.

"I suppose not."

"Can I…" Chanyeol doesn't finish the sentence, his cheeks dusting with a rush of pink, just like his ears, suddenly very aware of what he's asking, but he can't help it, he just loves everything sweet.

"Um… sure." Baekhyun nods and uses his spoon to slide the ice cream onto Chanyeol's empty plate, blinded by the too bright smile the unknowing prince gives him. 

They don't talk much. Well, Baekhyun doesn't talk much, Chanyeol does nonstop, like a dam being broken, the words flow out of his mouth; his voice ringing on Baekhyun's ears like a thousand windchimes dancing and it dazes Baekhyun to a point where he thinks there is no return. Chanyeol has a deep, soothing voice that makes his body relax on the chair. Park Chanyeol, Noctifer Morningstar, is supposed to be terrifying, with a presence so imposing it could bend even the most cruel of creatures on their knees; he instead is… someone with a pretty, crooked smile, a sweet tooth, easily excited and the voice of an angel. Chanyeol keeps talking as he goes about all the places in town he knows and he thinks Baekhyun would like; he explains every little detail with great excitement, throwing hands all around him, his expressions changing by the second.

"Would you like me to be your guide?" He asks. Baekhyun says yes because really, what else could have he said?


	2. Chapter 2

Just as Chanyeol had promised, he took Baekhyun to half of the places on his list ㅡyeah, he made a listㅡ in the span of two weeks, excitingly explaining everything he considered important for Baekhyun to store in his already confused brain.  _ General culture,  _ Chanyeol had called his extensive sharing of useless facts about places Baekhyun was sure he was never going to visit again. But as Chanyeol looked the happiest dragging him around, Baekhyun just couldn't say no as his phone would chirp at exactly 5:30 a.m. with a cheerful  _ RISE AND SHINE, SUNSHINE,  _ caps and a whole line of emojis. It wasn't like Baekhyun needed that much sleep, anyway.

It was hard for him, to ignore the throb in his chest where his heart was supposed to be. He doesn't have one, he knows, in its stead, there is always emptiness, a bottomless abyss swallowing every emotion he ever tried to feel. But with Chanyeol it's different, Baekhyun can feel the warmth spreading across his chest every time Chanyeol wraps his hand around his; when the prince smiles, Baekhyun's breath is caught in his throat, when his eyes narrow in that pretty way when he laughs, it hurts the demon on a different way; a way that Baekhyun is not sure he'd like to keep on experiencing.

When they sit on that cafe on Sundays and Baekhyun orders the most disgustingly sweet dishes just so he can end up giving half of it to Chanyeol to see him brighten up, something inside him ignites the most atrocious of feelings: love, adoration,  _ devotion _ and no, he's a demon; a Deceiving Demon at that. The prince should be by now, at his mercy, at least while he manages to get him back to Hell, not the other way around. But for some reason he can't yet figure out, Baekhyun can't stop himself from indulging Chanyeol on everything he asks.

What is this even?

A Deceiving Demon being deceived? Ridiculous. 

Baekhyun lets out a frustrated groan that sounds more like a growl into the cold air. He's seriously considering jumping off of his balcony and wondering if the fall would actually kill him. He had searched his symptoms, listed those strange feelings on the internet and the results had been the worst, Google had diagnosed him as  _ in love. _ Baekhyun scoffs, a demon? In love? That is the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard and yet, the most tangible; how else would he explain everything that has been happening to him ever since that awful day at the park? Is he really in love? With the Prince of Darkness and future King of Lost Souls, nonetheless? 

Hysterical laughter echoes through the sunset the moment he comes to that conclusion. This is hilarious, Sehun would make fun of him for ages if he knew and Suho would be pisssed. Damn it, Suho must be waiting for any updates on the progress of his mission, but Baekhyun had been so busy being a complete idiot he had gone MIA without even noticing. How is he supposed to face Suho, a Soul Eating Demon ㅡretired to serve the Kingㅡ but still, that he totally failed his mission.

_ You had ONE job, Baekhyun, one. Well done. _

On the other hand, Baekhyun is starting to think that maybe, Suho had forgotten about himㅡ as if. He hadn't even tried to contact him in about a month and a half. Yeah, maybe all he has to do now is disappear, search for a place on a remote corner of the world and live his days as a rogue demon.  _ Is that even a thing?  _ He's starting to feel excited about his awesome ideas, but as the smell of burnt wood that can only belong to a Wrath Demon filters through his nose, all that excitement vanishes. He might have thought too soon.

"Why did Suho have to assign you as my guardian?" Baekhyun turns around to face Kai, only to freeze in complete shock at the person standing beside him. "What are _you_ doing here?" He frowns. There it is again, that creepy smile from the barista at Chanyeol's bakery. Kyungsoo.

"Just making Kai company." Kyungsoo shrugs casually. "We have plans after this." He looks up at Kai with puppy eyes; Kai growls and… is that an  _ affectionate  _ growl? It is the most disturbing thing Baekhyun has seen, even counting the day  _ Crocks  _ were invented. Baekhyun remains tight lipped, brows knitted together in annoyance, he refuses to say anything in the presence of a human. Kyungsoo then, at Baekhyun's evident pettiness, rolls his eyes and sighs, only then a strong smell of roses and wet soil reach his nose. His eyes widen comically.

"Youㅡ" He points at Kyungsoo and take a step back, terrified. "You areㅡ!" Baekhyun can't even say it.

"An Angel of Death, a Grim Reaper, your Worst Nightmare, yeah." Kyungsoo grins.

Angels of Death are not rare, they habit the extensive space that exists between the three realms: Heaven, Earth and Hell, commonly known as  _ Limbus.  _ Just a few of them are allowed to wander the Earth freely and only Level Two Angels can seal a human's soul and take it to the In-Between to be judged and decide whether they go to Heaven or Hell. Baekhyun hates Angels of Death, they are arrogant and so full of themselves.

"How's that I didn't notice you the first day?" Baekhyun feels offended, he should have known.

Kyungsoo shrugs. "I can mask my own smell." Now that… is something Baekhyun didn't know they could do. "And besides, the smell of the bakery is too overpowering, you wouldn't have noticed it anyway." As if that could make him feel better.

"But whyㅡ"

"It's been four months." Kai interrupts. Baekhyun looks at him, he had almost forgotten his presence. Kai is scowling, as always, but there's a dangerous glint in his eyes, it sends shivers down Baekhyun's spine. You truly don't want to piss off a Wrath Demon. "What have you been doing for four months if you are not presenting any progress?" He asks. Kai keeps his hands behind him, his back perfectly straight and his legs pressed together. Kai is the most volatile of Wrath Demons, he just needs a small push for him to be unleashing hell on you, quite literally; but right now, he's holding back and he wonders why. Baekhyun's curious eyes move from the demon to Kyungsoo and then, something clicks. Kai is holding back  _ because  _ of Kyungsoo. 

"I've been trying, but the prince is…"

"You've been distracted. Suho wishes you back soon." Kai interrupts him. Again. "You have two months."

"Butㅡ"

"If you are not back by then,  _ I  _ will take over the mission." It sounds like a threat and it probably is. Baekhyun doesn't want to think about Kai's methods to bring the prince back to Hell. He has the slight suspicion that he won't sit at a cafe and eat his weight on pancakes with him and Baekhyun really, really does not want for Chanyeol to end up traumatized for the rest of his immortal life. "Do your job." Kai says before disappearing into a puff of silver smoke.

"What a dramatic exit." Baekhyun huffs.

"You might want to listen to him." Baekhyun startles at Kyungsoo's voice. He had expected him to be gone with Kai.

"Why are you still here?" Baekhyun frowns.

"Listen, I've known Chanyeol his whole life. I've taken care of him since he was a babyㅡ"

"What? Why?" 

Kyungsoo lets out a tired sigh. "The Prince of Hell can't exactly have a Guardian Angel from Heaven. That's why I was put here on Earth."

" _ You _ ?" Baekhyun spits out, incredulous.

"Yes, me." Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "Now, Baekhyun… you better start to do what you were sent here to do. Kai is seriously considering a series of disasters to  _ teach  _ you a lesson."

"That's insane!" Okay, well, that is not exactly the expression Baekhyun was looking for. Kai himself is insane.

"Yeah, well… we wouldn't want to disturb His Majesty's monthly vacations, do we? Especially not now that he's been feeling a little under the weather."

"Oh? Where did he go this time?" Baekhyun asks, genuinely curious. 

"Santorini. Beautiful place." Kyungsoo pauses, then clears his throat. "Do what you have to do. And pay attention, Baekhyun, there's more to what those filthy demonsㅡ no offense, let on. Don't get distracted."

"What are you talking about?" Baekhyun is confused.

"You have to find out on your own."

"Now you decide to be cryptical? That's an asshole move." Baekhyun takes a step forward in an attempt to look menacing, but Kyungsoo doesn't seem fazed at all. 

"What can I say… either way, don't miss your chance."

"Chance for what?" Baekhyun asks, but Kyungsoo is gone within a second, disappearing into a soft breeze that smells like roses. Baekhyun shivers at the memory of that grin on the Angel's face.

Just as Kyungsoo's presence dissolves, a few soft knocks on his door echo in the suddenly way too silent living room. Baekhyun startles and what the fuck is happening to him? Why is he so jumpy lately? He's a demon for fuck sakes. 

Irritated at himself, Kai, Kyungsoo, Suho and everyone else, Baekhyun strides angrily to the door, pulling it open harshly without having to touch it; he's about to yell whoever dares to bother him at times like this to  _ fuck off _ , but immediately stops himself when he sees the reason of his demise, his worst nightmare, his doom, hisㅡ beautiful, beautiful prince.

"Chan, hey." Baekhyun says and why does he sound so soft? Yikes. He moves closer to where Chanyeol is standing, a small, pretty smile on his lips. "What are you doing here? Did we have plans?" He asks as he starts to panic? Did he forget? No, no, he couldn't have forgotten, but still…

"Ah, no no." Chanyeol shakes his head. "I just… I mean, I was planning on making dinner and I wondered if you would like to… join me." His voice trails off, then he groans. "Nevermind, this was a stupid idea, Iㅡ"

"I would love to!" Baekhyun exclaims embarrassingly fast. Baekhyun wants to be swallowed by an Abyss.

T/N: Abyss' are not demons, though they habit hell, they are considered slags. Can be summoned, but is not a common occurrence since the rituals needed include the performance of dangerous and disgusting practices; more than what any human being can handle. They tend to lose control easily and don't follow commands. They don't eat souls, but humans: can swallow a full grown man without any issues. Their stomachs are bottomless black holes. (Based on the appearance and actions the Kaonashi from Spirited Away takes and does in the bath house scene).

"Okay, then." Chanyeol is nodding, silence has fallen between them while Chanyeol keeps bobbing his head up and down. It's just adorable, Baekhyun finds himself thinking, then he wants to smash his head against the nearest wall because the Prince of Darkness shouldn't be adorable. "How do 8 sounds for you?" 

"Um…" Baekhyun looks at the watch around his wrist, 6:47 p.m., "8 is perfect." He grins.

"Great! I'll see you then." With that, Chanyeol is gone again and Baekhyun finds himself with his feet glued to the floor by the door and staring at the direction Chanyeol just disappeared.

Baekhyun sighs, accepting the now inevitable: he is in love with Chanyeol, their future King of Hell.

Well, what the  _ hell _ ? Baekhyun tells himself as he heads to his bedroom.

He showers, when he doesn't even need to, but he truly couldn't care less at the moment; he'll find the time to feel stupid later. He puts on the tightest pair of black jeans he owns, a simple black shirt and his favorite long necklace. Baekhyun styles his hair a little bit, just enough to look casual without having him feel like he's trying too hard. He scoffs in front of his crooked reflection on the mirror… right, he should avoid mirrors at all cost once he's at Chanyeol's place; the last thing he wants is for the prince to accidentally find out his true nature by looking at the twisted horns, unhealthily pale skin and amber eyes he reflects. He can only hope Chanyeol isn't too vain to have mirrors hanging from his walls.

At 7:55, he's leaving his apartment, riding the elevator down to the third floor. He's been at Chanyeol's apartment once and he had only stood by the door while wishing the prince a good night; oh, how he wanted to kiss him, that time. He still wants to kiss him, to ravish that pretty, pink mouth, bite those lips until they are red and swollen and glistening with his spit, but that moment had been one of those magical moments Baekhyun had seen on those boring romantic movies humans liked to watch, the perfect moment for a sweet, innocent kiss. He hadn't though, afraid that Chanyeol would freak out, push him away and never talk to him ever again. That would ruin his mission as well.

Baekhyun knocks on the door twice and waits; a moment later the door is being opened to reveal a flustered Chanyeol, cheeks adorably red, wearing an apron and a kitchen glove in his right hand. The smile spreads on his lips the moment Chanyeol sees Baekhyun and moves aside to let him in.

"I hope I'm not too early?" Baekhyun twists his lips, sounding apologetic. It still smells like cooking food.

"No, no." Chanyeol guides him through the living room and into the kitchen. "You're right on time! I'm making  _ flan _ !"

"Flan?" Baekhyun inquires as he follows Chanyeol through the apartment and into the kitchen.

"Ah, it's a caramel, jiggly mexican dessert. It's sweet, but you must try it!" Chanyeol exclaims from his spot in front of the stove. Is it normal for even a human to eat that much sweet? Baekhyun wonders.

Baekhyun sits down on a stool across the island as a silly smile spreads on his lips; it feels… almost domestic, with him watching Chanyeol move around, stirring and smelling and tasting while he hums a tune unknown to Baekhyun. He starts to wonder if this, if their situation was any different, is what they could experience every day for the rest of their lives.

A sudden urge to tell Chanyeol everything bloomed in Baekhyun's chest. Tell him who he really is and what Baekhyun truly came here for; he wants to tell him he didn't mean to lie to him and beg him to not push him away. Baekhyun wants to tell him about his feelings, about how he's strangely, stupidly and inevitably in love and the fact that he's a demon shouldn't matter because well,  _ you're half a demon as well and you're supposed to be Hell's new ruler and here I am seriously considering asking you to run away with me. _

"Baekhyun!" The snapping of fingers in front of his face brings him back to reality. He stares at Chanyeol with wide eyes, feeling embarrassed for having wandered too far. "You okay? I've been calling your name for several seconds now." Chanyeol looks at him with a worried frown.

"Oh, I… I'm fine. Fine, thanks." He mumbles and tries to smile but fails.

"Are you sure?" Chanyeol asks as he reaches up to press a hand on his forehead as if to take his temperature. Baekhyun flinches back aggressively, like if Chanyeol's touch burnt.

Why is he feeling so cold all of a sudden? 

"Yes, I… I'm perfectly fine, but I'm starving."  _ Lies.  _

"Right!" Chanyeol chirps. "Of course. Why don't you go sit at the table and I'll be there in a moment."

Baekhyun does as he's told, hurrying away before he can do or say anything stupid, completely dismissing his manners and letting Chanyeol carry every plate and bowl to the table himself.

They eat a delicious pan-stirred steak, with salted vegetables and a buttery mashed potatoes that melts in Baekhyun's mouth at every bite he takes. It's delicious, even when Baekhyun is not really used to all the spices and flavors and well,  _ food  _ in general, he could eat this everyday. Baekhyun had only been able to take a few bites of that flan thing Chanyeol had made, not because it wasn't just as delicious as the rest of the food, but because with all those Sweet Sunday Breakfasts they'd had so far, there was no way in stomach to store any more sweetness.

"That was the best meal I've had so far." Baekhyun lets out a contented sigh, patting his full belly and grinning widely as he leans against the backrest of the chair.

Chanyeol chuckles. "It wasn't that great."

"No, it was!" And Baekhyun isn't lying, there has been only a few meals he's had in his  _ entire  _ life. "Truly, you're a great chef."

"Well, thank you. I'll accept the compliment." Chanyeol bows his head in mocked gratitude and then grins and wow Baekhyun loves him. "You know…" He speaks again after a moment of silence "I've told you pretty much everything about me and all I know is that your name is Byun Baekhyun and that you're 26 years old. How is that fair?" Chanyeol squints.

"Oh, uh…" Baekhyun looks away for a fraction of a second and then back to Chanyeol, "what would you like to know?"

Chanyeol hums. "I don't know… about your family, what you do for a living… anything." He shrugs.

"Okay." Baekhyun nods. "Well, I'm an only child, no parents, my uncle raised me." It isn't entirely a lie, although he wouldn't call Suho his  _ uncle,  _ it's the closest explanation he can give. 

"Is it okay to ask… what happened to your parents?" Chanyeol asks, standing up slowly and motioning Baekhyun to do the same and guiding him to the living room. Dirty dishes can wait.

"Never met them, really. They died when I was a baby." 

Baekhyun isn't sure that if  _ parents  _ is the right term to call the pair of demons who picked him up from the ashes when he was born, only to be killed two weeks later by Lucifer himself for "demon trafficking", as Suho had called it, which basically consisted on keeping a bunch of summon-friendly demons trapped and illegally going up to the Human Realm to offer their "services". They had been doing it for centuries and no one had really noticed, until a suspiciously strong flow of demonic energy was registered: ten of the demons they had scattered around the world lost control, causing disasters and tragedies all around. Baekhyun later learnt that that could have been his future.

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol mumbles.

"It's fine." Baekhyun dismisses the apology. "I suppose that we are not obligated to have any type of feelings towards someone we never met."

"You're right… I never met my father and when my mother would show me pictures of him, I felt nothing."

"You've… seen pictures of him?" Baekhyun feels his shoulders tensing a little. He knows for a fact, that reflections and anything that could externalize a demon's image, will show their true self. Was that applicable for Lucifer as well?

"Just once. Didn't really care much for it though." Baekhyun nods once, frowning slightly. Had Chanyeol seen a picture of his real father's human form or had his mother lied to him? "But what I'm really interested in knowing is what do you do for a living."

"Huh?" Baekhyun puts his attention back on Chanyeol.

Chanyeol chuckles. "Your job? Because I mean… that Louise Moinet surely is expensive." He points at the watch around Baekhyun's wrist.

"Ah, uh… nothing?" Baekhyun scratches the back of his neck, searching for a believable lie.

"The rent for the sixth floor must be a pain in the ass to pay for someone who does nothing." Chanyeol quirks an eyebrow, amused.

"Not…  _ nothing."  _ Baekhyun playfully rolls his eyes. "Investments. Don't judge me, I was an only child, so I got a juicy heritage."

"How lucky some people are." Chanyeol lets out a heavy sigh, to then grin and scoot closer to Baekhyun, who could only appreciate the closeness. "Tell me more."

Baekhyun hums, tapping his index against his chin, making a big act of searching his mind for something interesting about his life to tell Chanyeol, when instead, his brain works a thousand miles per hour trying to  _ find  _ something to say. He tells Chanyeol about Suho ㅡwithout the gory, darkest detailsㅡ, the  _ wonderful  _ person who raised him. Tells him about Kai, his weird distant cousin with anger issues and tells him about all the people he's met when traveling around the world. Chanyeol seems to be genuinely caught up in his stories; Baekhyun was still refusing to use his powers on him.

By the time Baekhyun starts to run out of topics, the clock hanging from the opposite wall says it's already 1 a.m.

"I should go home." Baekhyun stands up slowly. "Let me help you clean the dishes."

"That's not necessaryㅡ"

"Oh, but it is." Baekhyun cuts him off. "It would be rude not to."

Chanyeol can't argue with that, so he allows Baekhyun to help him pick up the plates from the table and take them to the kitchen sink.

"I'll take it from here."

"Butㅡ" Baekhyun opens his mouth, hip leaning against the kitchen counter next to the sink. He's so close to Chanyeol now that he can feel the warmth radiating out of his body and Baekhyun can only feel drawn to it. 

"No buts, go, I'll see you tomorrow." Chanyeol smiles, playfully nudging him with his own hips.

"Fine." Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but does as he's told. "Thanks for tonight."

"Any time." Chanyeol follows Baekhyun's movements with his eyes as he crosses the kitchen, his eyes stopping at Baekhyun's reflection on the stainless steel fridge as he passes by it.

His breath is caught in his throat at what he sees, the pale skin and twisted horns… he knew it.  _ He knew it.  _


	3. Chapter 3

When Chanyeol saw Baekhyun for the first time, he knew exactly what he was. He had smelled the citric, almost acidic scent as made his way to the front of the shop. At the time, still a little bit unsure, Chanyeol had stopped to take a deep breath; his mother had taught him everything he needed to know about demons and even though that was his first time, Chanyeol had been sure there was one nearby. Or more like,  _ inside  _ his bakery. 

Calmed and collected, not letting his nervousness show, he continued his way to the front of his bakery and pretended not to notice the manㅡ  _ creature _ , standing across the counter. It had taken everything in him to not jump at the demon and try to strangle him to death; of course he knew that was not going to work, but at least it would let his intentions be known. He didn't, though and instead, acted as distracted and indifferent as his sweaty palms would allow him to, talking to Kyungsoo as if the strong citric smell wasn't burning in his throat. Chanyeol had tried so hard to not let it show in his face.

Chanyeol had honestly expected not to run into the demon again. He had  _ tried  _ not to run into the demon again, despite of his initial intentions of befriending said demon to get as much information as possible about his business on Earth and how he ended up precisely in his bakery. Because Chanyeol knew who  _ he _ was. He knew about his father, as his mother had made sure to tell him his real identity, as careful as possible before she died. Chanyeol knew the day they would come for him would arrive and he was  _ not  _ ready. Who would, really, ever be ready to  _ rule  _ Hell. It was a ridiculous thought, impossible, laughable, but true and Chanyeol had lived almost half his life studying whatever he could about those destructive creatures.

He always thought about  _ his day  _ as the beginning of the end, the apocalypse, the day the Earth would burst into flames and he would rise from the ashes as the new King of Darkness; doom, death, disaster, demons terrorizing every single human being in order to get to him. Not… this. Not this short, cute-looking dude that seemed clumsier than himself. Really, didn't Hell have someone better to send for him? 

Chanyeol wasn't scared. Or well, he was. Kind of. Not as much as he thought he would be; he had been preparing for this day for so long, but nothing really prepared him for the plot twist that would change everything. He never expected to  _ fall  _ for the demon that was supposed to kidnap him and take him to Hell, because even though he wasn't a hundred percent sure about Baekhyun's reasons to be on Earth, Chanyeol knew deep inside it had everything to do with him. He came back to his original plan of befriending the demon, but this time, for a whole different reason.

Baekhyun was… so  _ not  _ what he was expecting a demon to be. He was a nice person, fun to be around, smart, cunning and rather clumsy on his feet (Chanyeol sometimes wondered if it had anything to do with his presence). Baekhyun hated sweets, but still ordered a full plate of pancakes drizzled with different flavors of syrup, strawberries and ice cream, only for more than half of it to end up in Chanyeol's own plate.

There was also something else. Something that had been nagging in the back of Chanyeol's head. An intensifying feeling that he doesn't really know how to begin to describe. Every time Baekhyun is around, Chanyeol feels his world shifting to a strange position, as if time stopped and everything around him didn't matter anymore. His heart beating insanely in his chest, a sensation of being riding a cloud, which… if you ask him, it's kind of ironic. Surely, the words demons and clouds cannot be used in the same sentence and yet, that's how Baekhyun makes him feel. His eyes when he smiles, his lips when he speaks, his hands when he grabs… Chanyeol wants everything and it scares him. This feeling cannot be right. He cannot have fallen for a demon. Chanyeol doesn't want to repeat his mother's mistakes; he doesn't want to end up like her, longing, hopeful, loving someone for the rest of his life; someone that is not meant for him.

He shouldn't, but he did and it's too late now to back up.

"Chanyeol." Kyungsoo's voice brings him back to reality. Only then, Chanyeol notices he's been clutching his recipes notebook so hard, the sheets are all ruined now. He blinks at the crumpled papers and then looks up at Kyungsoo, still a little confused. "You okay?" Kyungsoo gives him an amused look. Is he okay?

"Yes. Yeah. Just… I drifted." Chanyeol accepts, sighing as he tries to fix his notebook. There are recipes there he hasn't even had the chance to try.

"Where were you?" Kyungsoo raises a curious eyebrow.

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol says before he can stop himself. He shuts his mouth, mentally slapping himself.

"Baekhyun?" Kyungsoo frowns.

"I mean, Baekhyun is walking in." Chanyeoĺ points behind Kyungsoo's back and indeed, the door's little bell is ringing as Kyungsoo turns around and sees the demon walking inside the bakery with his usual bright grin.

Kyungsoo looks between Chanyeol and the demon suspiciously, it's been a few days since he started to notice something  _ different  _ happening with the two of them every time they are in the same room. Time seems to stop, everything cease to exist when they land eyes on each other; could it be that… no, Chanyeol would have told him. He would have, right? 

It can't be. Not now. Not this soon. Not while Baekhyun is supposed to be on duty still. Chanyeol has to be in Hell or at least be aware of his true identity beforeㅡ

"Eh… Kyungsoo?" Baekhyun is waving his hand in front of his face.

"Yes. What?" Kyungsoo blinks at Baekhyun, who is looking at him with an amused expression on his face.

"Never met an Angel of Death who could actually get distracted." Baekhyun mumbles, giggling and glancing over at Chanyeol who is busy with a customer.

"How many Angels of Death  _ have _ you met?" Kyungsoo whispers back.

"Point." 

"Hi, Baek."

Baekhyun's attention is immediately snatched by Chanyeol. Baekhyun ignores Kyungsoo all together to smile like an idiot and focus on the prince instead. They look at each other, eyes shinning with something Kyungsoo knows very well: devotion, and it seems to grow every passing minute. They had fallen for each other and that can definitely not be good.

They flirt. Shamelessly. And they don't even seem to notice, building up an impenetrable bubble around them while Chanyeol tells Baekhyun about his ideas for a new flavor of cupcakes and Baekhyun listens as if Chanyeol were unfolding before him the greatest mysteries of the world. Kyungsoo sighs, this wasn't supposed to happen like this, but now is too late. Kyungsoo knows there's nothing they, him nor the demons, can do to stop fate from following its original course.

"Excuse me." Kyungsoo clears his throat to break the trance they're in. "There are customers waiting." He says. Baekhyun glances back and finds a very long line behind him, some are glaring, some others are constantly looking at the time on their phones. Embarrassed, he steps aside, letting Kyungsoo continue with his work.

"Sorry, I… I just wanted toㅡ you know…" Baekhyun babbles, he doesn't even know why he's really there. He just felt the need to see Chanyeol, so he grabbed his coat and made his way out of the apartment. Now, he can feel his cheeks heating up, a strange involuntary reaction he packed himself with before coming to Earth in order to look more human; he never thought he would actually  _ use it. _

Baekhyun has come to terms with the fact that he's in love with Chanyeol, whether he likes it or not, it's already done, he might as well embrace it. 

It's been a month since Kai's visit and Baekhyun has yet to make progress. He hasn't. Not even a little bit, fearing Chanyeol's reaction and Baekhyun has started to worry. Lately, there have been news about strange natural occurrences happening around the world: a small storm here, a mild snowfall there, that seem to vanish as silently as they appeared and Baekhyun  _ knows _ what that is. Kai has never been the type of demon to just threaten, he acts, but there is something weird going on as he seems to be holding back and Baekhyun wonders if it has something to do with Kyungsoo. A part of him is slightly grateful to the Angel, he wouldn't want for innocent people to suffer because of his inability to complete a rather simple mission.

But he can't delay it any further, he has to speak to Chanyeol, drop the bomb as smoothly as possible and hope for everything to go well and he has to do it today.

"So…" Chanyeol waits for him to elaborate.

"Say, what are you doing today after closing up?" Baekhyun leans over the counter, batting his eyelashes in what he hopes to be a flirty manner.

"Oh, uh…" It seems to work, as Chanyeol stutters and struggles to find his words, "nothing, really… I was just going to… go home and you know, chill." He shrugs.

Baekhyun hums and nods. "How about you come to chill at  _ my  _ place? We can order some take out and watch a movie, if you'd like." 

"Yes. Sure." Chanyeol is quick to accept. Baekhyun giggles behind his hand, only to have the urge the next second to smack his face for acting like a stupid idiot in love.

"Alright, then. I'll leave you alone for now. See you later." Baekhyun steps away from the counter and before he turns to leave, he winks at Chanyeol; then he runs, not stopping to see Chanyeol's reaction. He's not sure how his softening heart would react.

Ah, this is bad. Baekhyun takes a deep breath the moment he steps outside of the bakery, clutching at his shirt from over his heart is supposed to  _ not  _ be. The feeling is overwhelming, like air missing from his lungs. It's been changing lately, the feeling in his chest; it used to be warm, a pleasant sensation settling inside his body, now it burns. It's suffocating, is love supposed to hurt this much? Baekhyun has learnt, from all the dramas he's been watching since he discovered the amazing world of cheesy TV dramas, that love is not always pretty. It  _ can  _ hurt you, destroy you from the inside out, drive you to a point of sadness with no return; love can kill you, Baekhyun comes to that conclusion and people still longs to feel it? Humans spend their lives looking for love, for the right person to be forever with no matter the cost. How something so painful can be something so preciously seeked for? That is something Baekhyun will never understand.

Baekhyun glances back, spotting Chanyeol through the large window pane, chatting animatedly with an old lady. Face lighting up with laughter with whatever the woman is telling him.  _ Oh, Chanyeol… _ such a pure heart and soul, only to be corrupted once he's sitting on that throne. 

Baekhyun goes back to his apartment with a heavy feeling in his stomach. Later today, he will tell Chanyeol everything, regardless of the consequences and if Chanyeol hates him for the rest of his eternity, he will still live in peace with himself knowing he accomplished his mission and gave Hell its rightful ruler back.

"What took you so long?" Baekhyun startles as soon as he closes the door behind.

"Holy fuckㅡ Suho?" His eyes widen and he steps back, pressing against the door.

"Since when do you  _ startle _ ?" Suho asks, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. He's sitting on the armchair, one leg crossed over the other, with his imposing presence filling the room.

"I didn't. You just… surprised me." Baekhyun lets out the air and proceeds to remove his shoes.

Suho hums. Baekhyun knows he can't lie to Suho. "Care to explain  _ why  _ you're still here, on Earth? With no progress, at all." 

"Iㅡ"

"Kai is very angry." Suho interrupts him as he stands up, fixes his suit jacket and walks towards the balcony's closed doors. That, Baekhyun knows. "If he hasn't destroyed a whole city yet is because I asked him to be patient."  _ Oh,  _ so it isn't Kyungsoo after all. Kai was also raised by Suho, collected from the ashes two years after Baekhyun, so that technically makes the Wrath Demon his brother, although… they have never been on good terms with each other. Kai tolerates him, but wouldn't hesitate on snapping his neck if necessary. "But he doesn't listen to me for long, you know that." Baekhyun does know that. Kai has always been an independent demon, his loyalty towards Suho being merely a way to thank him for teaching everything he needed to know.

"I will do it today." Baekhyun says, moving to stand next to him.

Suho turns around to face him. He opens his mouth, then closes it again and the deep frown comes back to his face. His eyes wander confusedly around Baekhyun's frame for a moment; Suho blinks, something seems to click inside his head and his eyes widen for a moment before he's returning back to his previous position. His body seems tenser than before, Baekhyun notices, but he doesn't comment on it. Whatever Suho has seen in him, has him concerned, but Baekhyun doesn't have the time to dwell on it.

"If you're not back to Hell  _ with  _ Chanyeol by next week, I will let Kai do it his way." Suho warns. 

Baekhyun wants to protest, but he truly is in no position to do so. "Yes." He just says and with a simple nod, Suho just disappears.

So it's settled. He will tell Chanyeol the truth tonight; Baekhyun very much prefers Chanyeol hating him than leave him traumatized for the rest of his upcoming immortal life thanks to  _ Kai.  _

Baekhyun spends the rest of the afternoon sprawled on the couch, his brain trying to put together the words he's going to tell Chanyeol. He doesn't want to stutter and he doesn't want to hesitate; Baekhyun wants for all to come out clear so there won't be any misunderstandings. 

Around 7:15 p.m. there's a knock on his door. He knows exactly who it is, so with a sigh, Baekhyun stands up and heads to the door; he opens it mindlessly, mouth ready to let out the words that will start the conversation he needs to have, but he doesn't get to say anything as Chanyeol is closing the door shut and pushing him against the wall, pressing their lips together. 

_ What?  _

Baekhyun remains wide eyed, Chanyeol's lips tightly pressed against his own, hands clutching at his shirt.  _ Shit, shit, shit.  _ What is he supposed to do? Baekhyun's brain goes blank for a second before Chanyeol is moving closer, their chests bumping against each other and Baekhyun can't stop the small moan than abandons his lips at the proximity and like a dam breaking, he starts kissing Chanyeol back. His arms move to wrap around Chanyeol's shoulders, clinging onto him, pulling him down and kissing him as fiercely as Chanyeol. Baekhyun isn't sure of what goes into him, but the sudden urge to feel Chanyeol's skin against his own burns in his stomach. 

Chanyeol's scent is intoxicating, alluring. Baekhyun feels lightheaded, allowing Chanyeol to slip a hand under his shirt as they kissㅡ devour each other's lips with new found hunger.

"I was dying to do this." Chanyeol says once he pulls away for air. He's breathless, lips red and swollen due to Baekhyun's nibbling on the skin. Baekhyun doesn't allow him any more words and pulls him into another kiss, equally savage. He's starving, his demon nature demands him to  _ take _ . To take whatever Chanyeol offers him and more. Baekhyun wants so much. He wants Chanyeol's mouth on him, he wants his hands all over his body. He wants more of that delicious citric scent to fill his senses.

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun gasps when Chanyeol leaves his mouth and moves to his jawline, down his neck, sucking and licking.

"Tell me I'm not the only one who wants this." Chanyeol mumbles. His voice hoarse and deeper than usual.

"Fuck." Baekhyun curses under his breath and forces Chanyeol up so they can kiss again. "Fuck me. Hard."

Chanyeol's growl is animalistic and it sends shivers down Baekhyun's spine. He has the time to bite down on Chanyeol's lower lip, making him grunt in pain before the prince is hoisting him up and carrying him to his bedroom.

Chanyeol does fuck him. Hard and unrestrained. Baekhyun feels his insides burning as Chanyeol pounds into him from behind. He whines and moans and Chanyeol gives it to him.

So this is how it must feel to have the person you love connected to you in more than an emotional level, right? But… does Chanyeol loves him too or is this justㅡ all thoughts are swiped away when Chanyeol lifts him up to sit him on his lap, back to chest, and his cock slides in deeper. Baekhyun cries out, throwing his head back and letting Chanyeol bounce him up and down as he sucks and bites on his neck.

Baekhyun feels it so deep and so good. His mind and body seem to disconnect from one another and he feels like floating. A new high raising him up as Chanyeol moans his name in his ear. What is this feeling? What is this pull in his stomach? What is this urge to hold onto Chanyeol and never let go?

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun exclaims, because that's all his brain can think about right now. Chanyeol's smell; Chanyeol's mouth, Chanyeol's hands; Chanyeol's cock. "Fuck. Fuck." Baekhyun pants out as he feels the heat building in his stomach, muscles tightening. He's close.

"I'm gonna come." Chanyeol moans in his ear and then, he comes, filling Baekhyun up to the brim with warmth. Baekhyun follows a second later, untouched.

They lay on the bed facing up the ceiling, chests heaving up and down with labored breath. Baekhyun doesn't feel tired at all, he's not even out of breath, but he supposes it's what a normal human's body's reaction to such an activity would be. So he breathes and glances over to the side where Chanyeol is, nostrils flaring and cheeks puffing and huffing every now and then. Chanyeol is so human, that if Baekhyun hadn't been put here, in front of him, he wouldn't believe he's the Prince of Hell.

A strange feeling suddenly builds up in Baekhyun's chest and he realizes, with terror creeping up his face, that he doesn't want Chanyeol to be the ruler of Hell. He doesn't want him to lose that smile, that… uncorrupted soul. Baekhyun doesn't want Chanyeol to leave the bakery. He doesn't want to see him sitting on a throne that sooner or later, will end up breaking any trace of that precious heart.

"No." Baekhyun finds himself mumbling.

"No what?" Chanyeol asks and Baekhyun shifts a little, almost forgetting they're there, shoulder to shoulder.

"No… nothing." Baekhyun clears his throat and smiles. "Shouldn't we clean up?"

"Ah, yes." Chanyeol chuckles. "I'll get some towels. Where do you keep them?" He sits up.

Baekhyun's greedy eyes roam around Chanyeol's broad and muscled back; his mouth starts to salivate and he's about to tell Chanyeol to forget about the towels and to come back to bed, he could go for at least another two rounds, when he stops on the left hip, where a birthmark Baekhyun is very familiar with rests in the form of a waning moon and what it looks like half of a star protruding from one side of the moon. It is slightly red.

"That mark…" Baekhyun mumbles, blinking, feeling a little out of place. He hadn't noticed before, since he hadn't even had the chance to properly explore Chanyeol's body, too lost in the haze of just  _ feeling  _ him inside.

"Uh?" Chanyeol looks down to where Baekhyun is pointing out. "Oh. It's a birthmark." Chanyeol simply says. "It's been a pain in the ass lately, getting all itchy and red, ugh." He complains.

"Chanyeol…" Baekhyun keeps staring as he shifts into his knees and lifts his left arm. Chanyeol's eyes widen as well as he sees the exact same mark marring Baekhyun's pale skin, right under his armpit. "Iㅡ"

"What is that?" Chanyeol's breath hitches.

"Chanyeol, there's something I need to tell you." Baekhyun's tone is serious.

Chanyeol frowns and nods for him to continue. Baekhyun opens his mouth, but the words get stuck in his throat. This is not going to be easy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: overexplaining things 'cuz I can(?) It is also short

Baekhyun only realizes he's been staring at Chanyeol's mark for too long when Chanyeol himself clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably. They're still sitting in bed, naked; just a few moments ago, Chanyeol was fucking him through the mattress and now… now Baekhyun doesn't know what to do with himself.

Chanyeol has a birthmark, normal. Chanyeol has a birthmark with the shape of a waning moon and half a star protruding from one side of it, again, normal, birthmarks come in many shapes,  _ right _ ? Baekhyun has that same birthmark under his armpit and  _ that  _ cannot be normal. He has only heard about situations like this one before in ancient stories, it doesn't happen in real life, not between two demonsㅡ  _ technically _ , Baekhyun can hear Kyungsoo's voice in his head, all those cryptical words from before; Kyungsoo  _ knew  _ and Baekhyun was an idiot for not trying to figure it out before.

But if Kyungsoo knows… then it means that Suho knows as well. And Kai. And probably Lucifer himself. Because  _ technically _ , Chanyeol is still half human, still has a soul, still allowed to have a…  _ soulmate.  _ But for Baekhyun, who is a hundred percent demon, born from the ashes, raised in Hell, how is it possible? 

How is it possible for a soulless creature to have a soulmate? It doesn't even make any sense. This is funny, hilarious. Before Baekhyun knows it, he's laughing, so loud it startles Chanyeol onto his feet. His head is thrown back, the sound of the dry, humorless laughter echoes through the silent walls of the bedroom.

"Baekㅡ"

"Ah." Baekhyun breathes out, holding up a hand to stop Chanyeol from saying anything. "This isㅡ this is so funny." He takes a deep breath, more out of habit after living as a human for too long, than out of necessity. "This is hilarious. This is  _ fucking cruel!"  _ Baekhyun shifts his position with a swift move onto his hands and knees, and yells at the floor. "What the  _ hell  _ were you thinking?!" He screeches.

"Baekhyunㅡ"

"What?!" Baekhyun exclaims, louder than intended in the middle of his crazy realization. 

"Your… your eyes…" Chanyeol stutters. Baekhyun turns away and looks at his reflection on the window, his eyes are glowing of an intense scarlett color.

"Fuck." Baekhyun grumbles under his breath. He closes his eyes and takes several deep breaths to calm himself down; he hasn't even tell Chanyeol what he came here to say to him and now, he's been fucked by the Prince of Darkness  _ and  _ said Prince of Darkness turns out to be his fucking soulmate as well. What a day. "Okay." He says to himself. "Okay." Baekhyun repeats as he sits back on the mattress and opens his eyes hoping they will be back to normal.

"What is going on?" Chanyeol asks, because it is only fair for him to be confused. He's frowning and naked and standing  _ naked _ in the middle of the room, with that sexy frown on his face and his arms crossed against his chest, flexing his muscles andㅡ no, it's not the time to be spacing out again.

"Okay, so… the thing is, I'm not human."

"Clearly." Chanyeol rolls his eyes.

Baekhyun opens his mouth to continue, but closes it again because  _ clearly _ ? What is  _ clearly _ ? Baekhyun narrows his eyes. "And you don't seem bothered by it." He moves, crawling his way out of the bed to stand in front of Chanyeol. "What  _ do  _ you know?" Baekhyun's inquisitive eyes focus on Chanyeol's. "Chanyeol." He urges when there's no answer from him.

Chanyeol sighs then, relaxing his body and sitting back on the bed. Baekhyun doesn't follow, not sure of being able to remain seated at the moment. 

"I know whoㅡ what you are." Chanyeol begins. Baekhyun's eyes widen. "And I know who  _ I  _ am." For a moment Baekhyun gapes like a fish out of water, blinking; his brain collapses for a few seconds as it processes the new information.

"You… know." Baekhyun mumbles. Chanyeol nods. "How?"

"About you or me?" 

"About me! About you! About both of us!" Baekhyun snaps, he begins to pace across the room, back and forth, trying to calm his recently found nerves down.

"I suspected about you since the first day I saw you in the bakery." Chanyeol begins, making a pause to wait for Baekhyun to freak out again, but as the demon says nothing and keeps on pacing, Chanyeol decides it is best to let it all out. "I know you demons have distinctive smells that humans cannot perceive, but as I am not entirely human, I could smell you, faintly, but it was there. You have this particularly citric, sweet smell thatㅡ anyway, I didn't want to jump into conclusions because I didn't know you, then, right? But then you approached me and I knew my day had come."

"Your day?" Baekhyun stops for a moment to look at Chanyeol, quirking an eyebrow.

"Hmm." Chanyeol nods. "My mother never hid my identity from me. She told me who my father was and she told me about what my future could hold. Prince of Hell, that sounds like a pretty big deal." 

"It  _ is  _ a pretty big deal!" Baekhyun flails his arms and groans in frustration. "How are you so chill about it?"

Chanyeol shrugged. "It feels like something I shouldn't worry about."

" _ Something you shouldn't worry about. _ " Baekhyun repeats, not believing his own ears. "But you let me approach you. Even after knowing what I am." He says next, deciding to leave the apparently not-so-important matter of being the Prince of Darkness for another time.

"You didn't seem like a bad person or… demon? I mean, I thought I could just let you get close to me so I could be sure of your intentions, I was prepared in case you tried anythingㅡ"

"Prepared?" 

"You know, rites and prayers and stuff. My mother taught me a lot of stuff." Chanyeol nods. "But I soon realized… I was not going to need any of that because then, you sat with me for breakfast and let me eat the sweetest portions of your pancakes."

"Chanyeolㅡ"

"I realized that you were not going to harm me. You are so different from the demons of the stories my mother used to tell me." 

"Chanyeol." Baekhyun sighs. "I am still supposed to take you back to Hell. It was supposed to be done months ago, but I just couldn't because  _ then  _ I sat with you for breakfast and watched you eat that unhealthy amount of sugar and carbs in one go." Chanyeol chuckles. Baekhyun waits for a moment before continuing, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. "Do you… do you know what having a soulmate means for a demon?" He asks. 

Chanyeol shakes his head. "I think my mother didn't know that could happen."

"Well, as we don't have a soul, the bond, once willingly accepted between the two, connects every fiber, every cell, every tiny bit of my body to you." Baekhyun says, carefully, watching as Chanyeol's eyes widen at every word. "I will be able to feel everything you feel, physically and emotionally. Bonds between demons and humans are scarce, but bonds between a demon and a half human are…"

"Never heard of." Baekhyun jumps, almost crawls up the wall like a frightened cat and Chanyeol leaps to his feet to hide behind him at the sudden new voice in the room, gripping tightly around Baekhyun's shoulders.

"Suho!" Baekhyun exclaims, hand over his chest. "It's fine, Yeol. I know him." He says and Chanyeol instantly relaxes. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I refuse to talk to you while you're naked." Suho looks away, head still held high.

They both scramble for their clothes and get dressed in a blink. Baekhyun manages to put on a shirt two sizes bigger and no pants, but who would care about pants right now.

"What are you doing here?" Baekhyun pulls on the shirt, trying to cover a little bit more of his thighs.

"I came as soon as I found out."

"Found out?" Baekhyun frowns.

"The marks." Suho points at Chanyeol's hip.

"I thought you knew?" Baekhyun mumbles.

"Nobody did!" Suho exclaims. "I was tricked by Our Lord. He made me believeㅡ anyway, he sent me to make sure you two…"

"What?" Baekhyun takes a step closer to Suho.

"Your mark has been itching, right?" Suho directs his question to Chanyeol, who nods. "Since when?"

"Since I…" Chanyeol's voice trails off, then he glances over at Baekhyun and back Suho, "since I met Baekhyun." He mumbles.

Suho hums. "That's what I thought."

"Care to explain what is going on? How is it even possible?" Baekhyun crosses his arms against his chest.

"I didn't know myself." Suho sighs. "As I was tricked to believe, I thought the sole purpose of sending you here was to bring our prince" he nods towards Chanyeol "back home."

"So it isn't?" Baekhyun snaps. 

Suho shakes his head. "We were all tricked into this. Our Lord, he… is not about to give up his position as our king just yet."

Baekhyun's frown deepens. "Then what?  _ Why _ ?"

"It has recently come to be of my knowledge, that Our Lord already knew about the marks. Since the beginning."

"But you said yourself that it has never happened before." Chanyeol reminds him.

"It is not that it has never happened before. No case has been printed on our records because a soulmate bond between a demon and a human/demon hybrid never ends well. Don't last enough to be of the knowledge of people outside of the mainly involved parties." Suho explains.

"Meaning…" Baekhyun encourages him to elaborate.

"Meaning that, if the bond isn't accepted by the two people involved, death is what awaits them. Demons and humans alike are selfish creatures, there has to be a mutual understanding of each other, reach a decision  _ together. _ " Baekhyun and Chanyeol share a look. "You have to decide, if you are ready to commit and once you do that, you have to choose between Earth and Hell."

"Wait." Baekhyun shakes his head. "You're telling us that we'll have to either stay here or go back to hell."

"Exactly." Suho gives him a solemn nod.

"But… how do you expect us to choose? Hell is my home. Earth is Chanyeol's home." Baekhyun bites his lower lip.

"I think that's what all this bonding thing is about." Chanyeol mumbles. "Staying together by mutual agreement. Because how do you expect to get along with someone, even if that person is meant to be with you, while being forced to do something you don't want to do, correct?"

"Correct." Suho smiles.

"So… what happens if we go to Hell?" Baekhyun asks, carefully.

"Chanyeol begins his training as the future ruler to one day become king. As for you, as his soulmate, will become king consort." Suho shrugs, just as simple as that. Ah, Baekhyun is not sure he wants that.

"What if we stay here?" Chanyeol asks next, pointing to the floor.

"You simply… stay here." Suho shrugs.

Baekhyun narrows his eyes, something is not entirely clicking. "It cannot be that simple." He takes a step closer to Suho.

"You will… slowly become human." Suho says reluctantly. "Well, technically, you already are becoming human."

"W-what?" Baekhyun blinks.

Suho sighs and closes his eyes. "The moment you accepted you had feelings for your half  _ human  _ soulmate, the change began. You see, you become one with them and since Chanyeol's human side predominates… the change  _ will  _ happen. The only way to stop it is if you two decided to go back to Hell. It all depends on the nature of the place where the bond is sealed."

Baekhyun looks at Chanyeol. Chanyeol looks at Baekhyun, no one dares to say anything for a long moment. Chanyeol keeps his lower lip trapped in between his teeth, fists clenched tightly on his side. Baekhyun shifts nervously, hating now more than ever the fact that he actually has human emotions and not the fabricated ones he had convinced himself to have.

"Maybe you should give us some time." Baekhyun mumbles, eyes fixed on Chanyeol, but words meant for Suho. 

"Not too much, though. We need to solve this as soon as possible." 

"Yeah, yeah, just…" Baekhyun waves his hand around dismissively. Suho shakes his head, then he's gone, leaving them both in the deafening silence of the room. "So…"

"We should go back to Hell." Chanyeol rushes to say.

"Are you sure?" Baekhyun narrows his eyes.

"Iㅡ"

"Listen, Yeol." Baekhyun sighs. "I don't want you to have to abandon life as you know it. Your life. Your friends. The bakery!"

"I don't care if I'm with you!" Chanyeol blurts out, taking a few long strides to close the distance between them. "It might be too soonㅡ it  _ is  _ too soon, but the feeling is here." Chanyeol grabs Baekhyun's hand, bringing it up to press it against his chest. Baekhyun's eyes widen, his heart is beating at an alarming pace. "It only beats like that when I'm with you. It's so overwhelming, likeㅡ"

"Like you can't breathe when I'm not around?" Baekhyun finishes for him.

"Yes! Exactly like that! Andㅡ and sometimes I just want it to stop because it's too much, bit then I look at you andㅡ"

"Everything is fine." Baekhyun finishes again for him. Letting out a sigh, recognizing every feeling, every emotion Chanyeol just described, as his own as well. "Let's stay here. On Earth." He adds, taking a step closer, pulling Chanyeol down so they can press their foreheads together.

"What?" Chanyeol frowns. "Baek, you heard Suho! And besides, Hell is your home…"

Baekhyun snorts. "I don't know if I would call Hell  _ home.  _ It's the place I was born and raised, yes, but it's lonely and coldㅡ metaphorically. I'd rather be where you are. I want  _ you  _ to become my home. And I don't care if I have to become human for that."

Chanyeol laughs softly, and it's a mix of sniffles and small gasps. He's crying, his arms wrapping around Baekhyun's waist to pull him in closer. 

"Is it too soon to say I love you?" Chanyeol asks, eyes down, too embarrassed to look at Baekhyun.

"I never thought I would hear those words directed at me, to be honest." Baekhyun chuckles. "But is never too soon when you truly feel it, I suppose." He shrugs. "Oh… I'm a demon still and I've become soft. Kai would snap my neck in half if he knew."

"Kai?" Chanyeol quirks an eyebrow.

"My brother. Kind of. He has a terrible temper." Baekhyun waves him off. 

"Family meeting soon? Maybe?" Chanyeol pokes him on his ribs.

"We'll see." Baekhyun stops, looks at Chanyeol in the eyes and smiles. "I love you."

The smile Chanyeol gives him is the brightest. Bright enough to light up that small dark corner remaining in Baekhyun's new found heart, dissipating any doubts he might have still left.


End file.
